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Seven Panicked Crew Jump From Listing Cargo Ship Off Lebanon

listing cargo ship
Seahorse listing off the coast of Lebanon (Civil Defense)

By The Maritime Executive 2026-10-26 15:18:00

A chaotic situation aboard a cargo ship off the coast of Lebanon led to seven crewmembers jumping into the ocean and requiring a rescue overnight. Lebanese authorities are saying the ship has now been stabilized, reducing the risk of the ship capsizing.

The cargo ship Seahorse (9,483 dwt) was traveling from Turkey with a load of timber when it began listing on Sunday, October 25, as it approached the port of Sidon, Lebanon. Built in 1997, the cargo ship is 100 meters (328 feet) in length and registered in Panama. It is managed by a Lebanese company.

Initial reports said the cargo had shifted on the vessel, causing the list. When the authorities contacted the captain, he said the situation was under control and that they did not require assistance. However, later reports said the ship had possibly grounded as it was approaching Sidon. The port has a maximum draft of 8 meters, but the ship was reported to be at 9 meters due to water ingress and the shifting cargo.

When the list became severe, seven of the crewmembers chose to jump into the water, panicking and fearing the ship was in imminent danger of capsizing. The authorities report the captain called for assistance, and they rescued the seven crewmembers from the water. Nine other crewmembers, including the captain, remained aboard the vessel.

The authorities are now saying the vessel had malfunctioned and the crew failed to detect water ingress, primarily in the number 5 cargo hold. When they boarded the vessel, they reported it was nearly impossible to walk due to the angles, and they detected 3.5 to 4 meters (11.5 to 13 feet) of water in the hold. An emergency pumping operation commenced, and they were able to lower the water level to between 50 and 60 centimeters (1.6 to 2 feet).

While the vessel was still listing, the report said it was determined to be stable enough to move the vessel to the Port of Beirut. The ship is now anchored at Beirut, and the plan was calling for offloading the cargo to further stabilize the ship.

The authorities did not indicate what had malfunctioned on the vessel. Databases indicate the ship has a long history of deficiencies reported during port state inspections going back to 2013. It had listed deficiencies on its last six inspections dating back to December 2025.